An extra month's worth of child benefit is landing in parents' and guardians' accounts this December. The cost to the government is estimated at around 112 million euros, the amount of child allowance paid in November.
For Maria Honkala in Liminki, the double payment offers peace of mind this Christmas. Her seven-person family will use the extra money to pay the bills.
"We have already purchased presents, but it could be that the extra child allowance is evident in some way at the Christmas table," said Honkala. "Of course we have outgoings after Christmas as well, especially with the electricity bill now five times bigger than before. I think that it will be more useful then."
Honkala says that inflation has caused her stress and that has been visible in the family. Children have missed their hobbies, and much more money than before now goes on petrol and food.
Therefore Honkala says the extra payment has brought significant relief.
"It's wonderful that the double child benefit payment comes to every family with children," said Honkala. "They are surely happy about that here in Liminki."
Biggest chunk goes to Uusimaa
In December Kela calculates that, for example, a single parent with two children will receive 650 euros altogether. A two-parent family with two children receives just under 400 euros.
Child benefit is paid for every child permanently resident in Finland until they turn 17. The additional payment this December is paid automatically to every recipient.
Around a third of the child allowance bill is paid in Uusimaa, where more than 300,000 families receive it. The smallest sums go to Åland, which receives a total of 763,888 euros, Kainuu (1.27 million euros) and Central Ostrobothnia (1.65 million euros).
